Time for a new GPU....

[PyrrhusIV]

Yup, i've decided my X800 , although still working great (hell.... I'll still use it for atleast another year or two) , should get replaced, it is obviously the bottleneck in my system. Also, I want to play M2:TW just that much better, and my X800 will probably be better in my dell, or as a backup.

I have a budget of $200 USD. $210-215 MAX. I want a card that wont be a bottleneck to the rest of my system, and will run most current games great.

My Specs:
AMD Skt 939 X2 4800 (2.4ghz @2.6ghz)
MSI PCI-E X800 GPU (12 Pipelines)
2GB's of Corsair XMS DDR 400 mhz RAM
WD Raptor 74GB 10k RPM
Seagate Barracuda HDD 250GB 7200 RPM

I was thinking of either getting a 7900 GS , an X850XT PE or saving up a little, and getting this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150195

I'm thinking of the 7900 GT... but trust me, every $ counts, and a rebate is a o.k thing in this circumstance.

[communisto]

i guess it is between that 7900gs or, i dont know how it compares to an x850xt pe, or 7900, but theres a http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102061

SAPPHIRE 100176L Radeon X1950PRO 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 VIVO PCI Express x16 CrossFire Video Card

[Incinerate_IV]

The X1950Pro isn't that good, pretty much same as the X1900GT, "only" 36 pixel shaders.

This Geforce 7900GT after a $50 rebate looks pretty damn good.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150150

If you only you have a tiny bit more money, you can get a X1900XT 256mb, which is the best bang for the buck right now. Maby you should try to check zipzoomfly for some good deals too.

[Miraj]

Wow. Yeah get that 7900GT that Incinerate posted. I just got a 7800GS and it kicks ass but since it was AGP it was pricey. That 7900GT looks like a real deal, especially with that $50 rebate, it'll be within your budget.

[PyrrhusIV]

Yeah, it depends on how much I can scramble together. Need to go and cash in a few paychecks tomorrow. If i'm close, i'll go for the X1900XT:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Custra...82E16814121029 If not, the 7900 GT is still a steal

[Incinerate_IV]

It seems all the cheap X1900XTs on Newegg are gone, maby you should check some other stores, because they were $240 a week ago.

[Arakorn]

What's mail in rebate?

[OTZ]

You buy a product, send a copy of the invoice and the barcode from the package to the manufacturer. Then, after 6-9 months of emails and/or phone calls to the manufacturer (complaining about how long the rebate is taking), you will get a cheque in the mail for X number of dollars.

[Shaun]

Well, if you save up even more, or have a rich dad, then you could get the X1950XTX like what I have. I plays MTW2 demo on max @1600x1200 with AAx6 with no lag at all. Ofcourse, I do suspect that my E6600 and 2GB DDR2 800MHz RAM plays a part in that as well.

The X1900XT looks good, get it if you cant get the above.

[Incinerate_IV]

Yes, Shaun, we all already know you have a X1950XTX.

I doubt anyone can afford a $400+ graphics card like you though...

[PyrrhusIV]

I doubt anyone can afford a $400+ graphics card like you though...

My old 7800 GTX 512 cost me $750.... before it blew up...(note to self, savings account at bank suffered as a result)

But yeah, I think i've come to a conclusion. I am cashing in 6 paychecks tomorrow. If they amount closer to the Higher-end (ahem, Ati atm) then i'll save up and buy a good card. If they end up coming up to zilch, it is Mid end (Nvidia) for me.

[Shaun]

Yes, Shaun, we all already know you have a X1950XTX.

I doubt anyone can afford a $400+ graphics card like you though...

But I can tell you, its well worth it, if you cant afford it you can always get a job, or just buy less games. On average, since the release of RTW, my games purchase comes to just over 2 games per year, all pre ordered wit ha 33% discount.

@Phyruss, how the **** did your 7800GTX blow up? Did you get warranty?

[Germanicus75]

But I can tell you, its well worth it, if you cant afford it you can always get a job, or just buy less games. On average, since the release of RTW, my games purchase comes to just over 2 games per year, all pre ordered wit ha 33% discount.

Yeah, since Rome, I hardly bought any other games. Rome takes up 90% of my gaming time. I bought GTA: Vice City but found it pales in comparison to Rome...When I get MTW2, I'll probably never leave the apartment :-)

[PyrrhusIV]

@Phyruss, how the **** did your 7800GTX blow up? Did you get warranty?

yeah, it ****** me off.... especially considering that thing was averaging, along with the rest of my system 80-100 FPS on most games, and I could play RTW flawlessly....

I dunno, one day, it just started behaving funny, and the temperature started rising. Rapidly. So I turned off the computer, and got a fan blowing in cool air asap (I thought maybe the GPU fan had died, so I was cooling the case down as quick as I could). Well, I tested out the fan, and it seemed to be working fine, so the next day, I started it up, thinking maybe the card had a minor surge heat it up or something. It smoked, and died.

because I got it off ebay (note, completely, completely new) XFX wouldnt even respond to my emails, they only responded to one, saying "if you bought it off ebay, we are not responsible". bastards... that was $750. I went to the guy I bought it off of, and he wouldnt respond, I reported him to ebay, and they didnt care.

So, i'm stuck with a very good system, and a mid-low range GPU.

Thing is, the GPU is the only thing i'll upgrade, rather not buy anything else cause of Core 2 Duo and Direct X 10... Skt 939 isnt really worth teh upgrade anymore.

[Germanicus75]

Hi Pyrrhus,

I just went from an X800XL to a 7900GTO. Pleased so far with the upgrade (nearly doubled my FPS on the medieval 2 demo).

Don't know if you can still pick one up within your budget...

[Hadrian]

Phyrrus, the ONLY thing you need to upgrade IS the GPU, everything else is top notch for as long as that systems alive and kickin. I think Incinerate's right about the 7900GT, plus it's an nVidia for a CA game, that'll help. The Sapphire X850XT Platinum Edition for $125.00 is a great deal, 540core and 1180mem ain't bad for a card that old. (Top dog in either company's line in 2004.) OCed probobly 565/1250, but it is old technology and you'd be matching it with a new nVidia friendly game....

You know what really stinks? XFX came out with their double lifetime warranty sortly after you bought that card, which would have protected the second owner (you) from such a tragedy, no matter where or who you bought it from.

[PyrrhusIV]

Phyrrus, the ONLY thing you need to upgrade IS the GPU, everything else is top notch for as long as that systems alive and kickin. I think Incinerate's right about the 7900GT, plus it's an nVidia for a CA game, that'll help. The Sapphire X850XT Platinum Edition for $125.00 is a great deal, 540core and 1180mem ain't bad for a card that old. (Top dog in either company's line in 2004.) OCed probobly 565/1250, but it is old technology and you'd be matching it with a new nVidia friendly game....

Hmm, yeah... I'll come back here with a list of cards between $100-220, and see which one(s) you guys tend to favour.

Uhg, Ever since I built my computer, I havnt been following hardware, especially GPU's, and now i'm paying the price for it.

@Hadrian

Double lifetime warranty? I knew I should have waited. ouch

The List:
XFX 7900 GT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150195) - $239.99 ($40 rebate)

GECUBE X850XT PE (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814241013) -$180

X1950 Pro(s) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...SubCategory=48

I'm wondering which card overall, in most games, would be the best choice. If "worst" comes to "worst" then i'll just save up for another month or so and try getting the lowest priced of the "1900" series from Ati.

[Shaun]

Dont get the X1950pro, is isnt worth the money, the X1900GT is cheaper and performs better. Out of that cards, the 7900GT is the best (obviously), but you might manage to come across an X1900XT for just a tad more.

[PyrrhusIV]

Well, this is a list of all X1900XT's at Newegg.com:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...SubCategory=48

yes, I looked at sites like Tigerdirect too, newegg was cheaper. So, it all comes to how much money I have saved up. I'm leaning toward those Ati cards, mostly because they will play games (other than Total War) with HDR & the other effects. Though, if my budget isnt even close to them, the 7900GT is still an excellent choice.

meh, really cant say much till I get my money cashed in

[haloband]

Hey you GPU experts, Shaun, PyrrhusIV and company. Please pardon my ignorance but I just purchased a second 7800 gt to run in SLI mode. Would I have been better off just buying a 7900 gtx instead, or will I see enough of a performance increase with SLI (assuming MTW:2 supports SLI).

Thanks in advance.